TWINJ
And the hours-long day comprised of different rituals and fun elements to them and also helped them to become normal with each other to a greater extent.
“separate the different pulses from the rice …the bigger pile of different pulses after the time is up, more points to you.” The bubbly girl from the twins told the rules.
“I didn’t hear of one such ritual ever… I am not in.” Kunj teased her smiling inside.
“arey… Bhai!! first of all, this is not a ritual but a game and second of all …leave it.” adding the drama Saloni pretended nonchalantly.
“Why on earth I am hearing about games I never heard before…haan.” Kunj sparked them again.
“please Bhai, you are already losing the games to bhabhi that’s why you are getting frustrated …right.” this time it was another girl.
“why would I get frustrated ..haan? And moreover, you decided all your games considering in which department your bhabhi is good.” scoffing on them Kunj haunched his shoulders.
Twinkle smiled on this vogue comment, she had won the earlier games and though she felt poor for her husband … a game was a game.
Uma and others were happy on the little scene going on in the hall where newlyweds were being teased like nothing. This house was finally breathing normally after a span of many months which was nothing less than death for them… popping the air inside the knuckles, Uma prayed for the happiness to remain like this forever.
She had seen her husband’s disappearance and then her son’s sudden death she was not ready for any more surprises in life.
“The first game was identifying the songs on a small portion of the music…I am not good at songs.
The second was the strange game of identifying the different juices with the smell of them… again I am not good at all those things
And now this one… I really miss my br- my boys’ gang.” he was about to say something strictly prohibited in this moment but he caught hold on his tongue.
“please Bhai ,don’t throw tantrums …even Kavya doesn’t throw these many tantrums.” Saloni chided him & it worked.
“alright…I’ll do it.” he agreed, little they knew something has changed his heart, suddenly everything became torturous for him.
Though he tried to forget him Yuvraaj’s face came in front of him and he knew it will never be easy for him. Taking a deep breath he continued the game as the music started.
“It will be fine…whispered Twinkle when no one was paying them attention in the middle of the game.
She had heard my br- and afterward, he had tried to maintain his posture but the sudden serious composure made her suspicions true.
“hmmm.” not looking to her side he hummed, he didn’t want to look broken in front of her… anyway, after the marriage when he came back here, at times he felt wrong about the decision… he was confident about his love but Twinkle’s words just before the wedding had shaken his belief or perhaps he was angry on her so the negative thoughts had overpowered him.
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“Ma, I was thinking to change Kavya’s clothes and….Baby, it’s fine..just a minute patting the back of Her girl she continued “and give her a warm bath before tucking her in,” Twinkle told Uma with difficulty in holding a cranky Kavya.
“arey ..she looks upset, give her to me I’ll manage, perhaps the material of this frock is the reason, it might have been hurting her all this time,” Uma asked for the girl.
“it is fine Ma, everything is done so even I was thinking to change the clothes.”Twinkle denied her politely.
“Actually, I saw Kunj going towards the terrace … did something happen again? But you guys were normal today..right?” Uma shared her worries.
“I thought if you could talk with him…it is the tougher moments which make people closer to each other.” a somewhat dumbstruck Twinkle kept staring the door to terrace and meanwhile Uma took the girl in her hands.
“you are his wife now… you two are trying and I know that, but now is the time to finally show your efforts to him, sometimes we need to tell people that we care about them otherwise they never get to know about it.” patting her back Uma left towards Yuvraj’s old room where Kavya’s clothes and belongings were kept for Twinkle to set them accordingly.
Kunj had more of Yuvraaj’s memories than anyone else… he had lived with him all his life, he had shared every first moment in Yuvraaj’s life, Yuvraaj was his baby brother and how could she never think about his sorrow… it was not that he loved her dearly or more than his brother if that was the case then he had never left the country, it was the love he had for his brother in his heart that he left the place for them to live peacefully.
It was as tough for him as was for her… the difference was he never showed it and decided to go the way life wanted.
“Sometimes we need to tell people that we care about them… the words echoed again and she collected the courage to enter in his life and finally share his grief.
“he might have been feeling cold on the terrace.” the cool breeze from the opposite window reminded her about the season change and she called their new helper.
“Babita… please ask Ma or bua for a shawl, I need one…and come fast.” she asked her politely.
“Bhabhi, don’t go upstairs … today it seems weather is not good, you might get sick.” Babita, a widowed lady in her early 30s warned her.
“i have some work, Babita… please bring one.” adjusting the lower pleats properly she smiled to her.
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The lights had covered the plants and though main bulbs were switched off the terrace had ample light.
And on a concrete back-less chair was sitting her husband, staring the nearly barren roads under the building… closing the door without any noise she walked to him.
“i am okay, no need to think I am upset or anything…” he spoke up in a very calm voice as soon as she stood behind him.
“then why did you leave us in between?” she asked from behind.
“i just felt suffocated after the dinner so thought to come out in fresh air.” he lied.
On the mention of fresh, she noticed the different fragrances on the terrace and it took her no moment to understand the orange base white flowers of Harsingar were the reason for the warm fragrance.
“okay… but I feel the weather is changing and-” covering him with the shawl she continued. “time to take care of you.”
He was visibly shocked with the sudden gesture but then he understood and held the shawl so it does not fall.
“The flowers have such nice fragrance..right?” taking a seat beside him with an ample amount of space between them she commented.
“Hmm.” without looking her side or paying attention to her he hummed.
“How is the new office?” she tried her luck with conversations.
“It is good,” he answered in a flat tone.
“You are going somewhere?” she asked remembering he was talking with someone in the evening.
“why…oh yeah, how did you get to know?” he was surprised but didn’t look in her direction.
“I heard you in the evening,” she answered and waited for any reaction.
“Oh…Yeah, a meeting is scheduled… I’ll leave for Surat tomorrow evening.” he replied and the tone said he was getting into the conversation.
“When will you return?” she asked in a reflex.
“in two days maximum… I had to leave today with them but now will join them in The Meeting directly,” he explained.
“ma, papa and Di’s family will arrive soon for our reception…” she kept the talks going,.
“okay…but they will reach by Wednesday, right? I’ll be back before Wednesday,” he assured her unsaid worries.
“Everyone went?” he asked thinking bad that he left them without saying a bye.
“yeah, Papa’s friends & their family went and others have retired to the guest house,” she replied covering her back with the silk.
“There is ample space and moreover it is legal now.” shifting to her side he covered her in the same shawl.
How easy it was for him to show and shower his love on her, perhaps because he was always in love with her And it was difficult for her because she had loved someone else and that man was not Kunj but if he was trying so hard to see her the same even after the years and their journey then the least she could do was respond him as his wife.
“I am sorry Kunj… she whispered after a while, genuinely sorry for the wedding day chaos.
“for?” he forced her.
“for the words before our wedding… I just felt it was wrong to get married when someone else wanted you with her life,” she replied in a dim voice.
The shivering in her hands won’t stop and neither was the wavering in her voice… apologizing is never easy.
“you have to understand we can not always think about others, sometimes we need to decide what is important to be done… right now I have become the legal father of Kavya and I can try to give my brother’s daughter a safe and lovely life if god wills.” this time his voice sounded different, she knew he was concerned about her daughter but today the depth in his emotions was something else.
“i troubled you for no reason…” she felt the grief in his eyes and she knew he was missing his brother.
“it is not like that…we are no normal couple, we have a lot of things which will trouble us every now and then.” he stared the road again.
“he will be happy for us.” she thought in her mind.
“I think we should go down otherwise we will catch a cold,” he suggested after a brief moment of silence.
“yeah…you are right.” she agreed to him.
“do you remember I like you a little more in Green…” he pulled her to him from the sitting position.
“i think I remember.” she smiled matching his height and inhaling his scent one last time before taking off the shawl.
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“who did this ?” he was dumbstruck seeing the room all set for their wedding night.
“What happened?” she came with fast steps seeing him stuck to the door.
“eshhh… she closed her eyes on the scene in front of her.
“I…I think…I think Ma is behind it.” how could he forget her mother wishing every ritual to be done in a proper way for her elder son.
Feeling utterly awkward about it he entered inside the room.
“I’ll go and check Kavya.” she wanted this to prolong for a while.
“no help, ma might be sleeping or they will pretend they are fast asleep.” he referred his mother and bua.
“by the way what is written there…” he walked to the bed like an investigator seeing the roses making some pattern.
“Please don’t make it any more awkward Kunj.” she prayed in her heart.
“Kiran and Jay…Twinkle, come here…” he called her in that dramatic tone.
“hun, what is wrong?” and seeing the bed first she looked puzzled and then turned to him and together they laughed so hard.
“wow…Kiran and Jay…hahahaha” controlling his laugh he said and burst again.
“some real big confusion happened.”she joined him laughing on the situation.
“i think… a bigger one…” he sat on the bed laughing hard on that.
She touched his shoulder trying to seize her laugh but it never did. At least for next half an hour.
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Hey everyone, how was it? i shall be waiting for your response..
Also, the danger of COVID-19 is still lingering over us and all we need to do is be careful and follow the LOCKDOWN…take care guys and also do not be unkind to your pets or the animals in any way.
Thank you
With love Morusya.